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Clarion

Publication Date November 29, 2009
Volume 61, Issue 2


 

Upcoming Programs

  • December 1– Christmas Party
     

  • December 8– Susan Smith from Exodus Homes
     

  • December 15– Catawba Science Center
     

  • December 22– No meeting
     

  • December 29– TBA
     

Street Cleanup
 

On Saturday, November 14, Kiwanians and Key Club members cleaned trash from 3rd Avenue.
From left to right, Linda Baker, Helen Devlin, Jay Crane, Ken Kleva, Teresa Foster, Danny Seaver, Abigail Kleva, and Seul Bin Han.

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Salvation Army Bell Ringing


The annual bell-ringing for Salvation Army collection kettles begins on Saturday, November 28 with two locations, one in front of Sam’s Club and the other in front of Wal-Mart. The hours are 9 AM to 8 PM. The remaining dates are December 5, 12, and 19. Volunteers are needed.
 
 

Recent Programs 

  • November 3– Roger Baker of the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry spoke about the programs, services and needs of his organization. Volunteers are needed as well as contributions.

     

  • November 10– Scott Millar , director of the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation brought the club up-to-date on the plans and results of attracting corporations to the county. Some of the companies discussed were Apple with its huge plant and plans for the southern part of the county, Legacy Furniture in Conover, and Ethan Allen Furniture.

     

  • November 17– Barry Edwards, of the Catawba County Landfill, discussed the progress made and the future plans for energy production at the landfill. The facility is in its eleventh year of production of electricity from methane generated by the decomposition of material deposited in the landfill. Heat from methane production is also used to dry wood products of the Gregory Wood Products Company. Waste delivered to the facility has decreased from 650 tons per day down to 450 tons/day because of the recession. Commscope is the single largest waste producer. PalletOne, a pallet manufacturer is using some of the wood waste. A project for the future that has not yet been announced publicly involves gasification of wood waste to produce electricity (GE Energy). Dr. Grady of Appalachian State University is the driving force behind another project to produce bio-diesel fuel, and research to produce bio-fuels from algae is also in the works.

     

  • November 24– Danny Hearn, director of the Chamber of Commerce, who has spoken to Hickory Kiwanis in other years, reviewed some of the issues facing business in Catawba County and some of the possible solutions to this area’s problems.

     

  • October 27– Terry Byers, Director of Education for the Hickory Fire Department presented a program on fire prevention in the home. An Appalachian State graduate in Elementary Education, she showed a short video on the start and rapid growth of a typical house fire. Some of the most common causes are from cooking, smoking and electrical. This is Fire Prevention Month and the recommended semi-annual change of smoke detector batteries is due this coming weekend when the switch to standard time is made.

    On the bright side, 41% of new investment in North Carolina in 2009 has been in the Catawba County area, with the large expenditures by Google and Apple. Another encouraging factor that few people know about is the operation of the Manufacturing Solutions Center at CVCC where important work is being done to solve manufacturing, testing and product development problems.

     

Miscellaneous

  • On the last Farmer’s Market Day in downtown Hickory for this year (Saturday, November 21), several Kiwanians manned a booth and took in $270 in sales of peanuts and pecans.
     

  • Ken Kleva reports that peanut and pecan sales are also going well in the usual channels.
     

  • Helen Devlin informed the club on November 24 that 19 boxes of dictionaries had arrived and the work of stamping and delivering them to 3rd graders now has to be done.
     

  • The new fund-raising event, the lacrosse tournament in March for middle-school children, is in the planning stages and details will be forthcoming soon.
     

  • The Hickory High School Key Club is giving a Christmas party for Longview and Southwest schools on December 10.
     

 
 

The Quote: 

"If any man can convince and show me that I do not think or act right, I will gladly change; for I seek truth, by which no man was ever injured. But he is injured who abides in his error and ignorance."

Marcus Aurelius